


Breakfast with Rays

by tortiecat (orphan_account)



Series: Old Friends, New Friends [5]
Category: due South
Genre: Friendship, Gen, New Friends, Old Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 04:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/tortiecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the morning after "Guys' Night In," Fraser has more surprising, but happy, news for the Rays. The conclusion of the "Old Friends, New Friends" series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breakfast with Rays

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story last summer, then forgot about it for months after I decided to leave the Due South fandom. But a new year is a time for letting go of anger and embracing forgiveness, and finishing what you started. :-) 
> 
> I came up with this ending to the series, which includes a post-"COTW" future for Fraser that isn't widely embraced by the fandom. But I think it's a pretty wonderful future for him. I hope those who like the first four parts of "Old Friends, New Friends" enjoy this ending.

“I still don’t get it, Frase.”

Fraser sprinkled pepper over the scrambled eggs, slid them onto a plate and placed the steaming dish in front of Ray. His friend firmly gripped a mug of coffee with one hand and shaded his eyes against the morning sun with the other. The spikes in his hair were droopy.

Fraser sat across from Ray as he continued. “I mean, just after we jumped out of the plane in the middle of nowhere in Canada, you got this real happy smile on your face, and you looked around and said ‘I’m home.’”

 _It was different then, Ray_ , Fraser thought. _Was it really just a few months ago?_

Aloud, he said, “That was my thought at the time.” He sipped his tea.

“So why are you wanting to stay in Chicago now?” Ray took a few bites of the eggs, then reached for the box of donuts and opened it.

Fraser knew that eating too much sugar at the morning meal was unhealthy, but he’d still decided to treat his friends, and stopped at the bakery a few blocks away during his morning constitutional. He’d kept his routine despite having very little sleep.

He was glad that Ray Vecchio was starting to fall asleep while they watched the first “Die Hard” movie — not because he enjoyed one Ray’s company more than the other’s, Fraser knew, but because he his friend was still recovering and needed his sleep. After he’d helped a drowsy Ray to the bedroom and made sure he was comfortable, he and Ray Kowalski had spread their bedrolls on the living room floor and laid on them to watch the second “Die Hard.” They’d finally gone to sleep after 2 a.m.

Diefenbaker had stayed at the Vecchios’ home, so Fraser wasn’t awakened by his begging for breakfast. But he still opened his eyes when the sun hit his face, and left the apartment to enjoy the early morning.

He watched Ray bite into a jelly-filled donut, thinking that if Dief was there, he’d be trying to climb into Ray’s lap for his own bite. He suspected that, at home, Sophia and Michael, and their friends, were sneaking him bites of Ma’s delicious cinnamon rolls.

Fraser took another long sip of tea and wondered how to answer Ray.

“It wasn’t a decision I made suddenly, Ray,” he finally said. “I have been wondering about where to go for my next posting for almost two months. And I realized that if I chose Canada, I’d be in the physical place that I’ve considered as ‘home’ for many years, but I’d also be removed from the people whom I care about the most. I knew that if I became as solitary and lonely at a new posting in Canada as I was almost four years ago, before I came to Chicago and met Ray and you, I had no one to blame but myself.”

“So you want to stay because of us? Or is it mostly for Vecchio…” Ray turned his head in the direction of the bathroom, where they could hear Ray’s footsteps and the water being turned on.

“I admit that my concern over Ray’s health was the catalyst for my not automatically wanting to accept a post in Canada,” he answered. “But I had reconsidered  accepting a post when I realized that I would never see my fa….that is, when I realized that I have an adopted family here in Chicago, and I did not want to never see them again, or rarely see them.”

“The Vecchios? C’mon, Frase – you would have come back for visits! Even if Vecchio hadn’t gone back into the hospital, you wouldn’t have blown him off and never seen him after we caught Muldoon, would you?”

“His name is Ray, Ray. And I don’t think I would have never seen him again.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You would have come back for one last visit with him before you started your new job. If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t be a good friend.”

 _You’re right, Ray. You and Ray have taught me so much about friendship, and that means putting a friend before what I want sometimes. I don’t want to take you or Ray for granted again_.

He watched Ray eat the final bite of the donut and lick the sugar from his hand. “Mmm…thanks for stopping at Busy B’s,” he said before continuing. “I know you wouldn’t have gotten rid of me so easily, Frase. Vec..I mean, Ray, may hate Canada and not want to go up there again, and my first trip there may have involved me falling into snow during a blizzard, but I would go back up there every year to see you.”

“And Maggie,” Fraser added, with a hint of a tease.

“Yeah, Mags. You seemed so happy to learn she was your sister. I heard you say ‘I have a family’ after she left in the cab. So why don’t you want to be in Canada near her?”

Fraser listened to the water in the bathroom being turned off before replying.

“Ah…it’s not that I don’t want to be near her. I would like to know her as my sister. But I’m not sure if a posting is available in Inuvik at this time, Ray, so I can’t be guaranteed that I’d live near Maggie. Even if I could be posted there, I’d be out on patrol for several weeks during a month, so I wouldn’t be able to see her every day,” he rapidly explained, then rose to start a plate of eggs for Ray Vecchio. The kitchen was quiet for a few minutes except for the cracking of the eggs and Ray Kowalski eating.

“My idea of ‘family’ has changed since I said those words,” he finally said quietly, his back still to Ray.

“Frase….” Ray started, then said, “Hey, Vecchio.”

Fraser looked over his shoulder and saw Ray Vecchio entering, already shaved and dressed in his now-usual khaki shorts and light cotton button-down shirt. “Ah, good morning, Ray. I’m making eggs for you. I trust you slept well?” he asked while reaching in the refrigerator for milk and juice.

Ray absently glanced at both of his friends and sat beside Ray Kowalski. “Oh, sure, Benny,” he said. He reached for the glass of orange juice Fraser set before him. “What were you saying about family?”

Fraser turned back to the stove and added milk to the bowl of beaten eggs before pouring the mixture into the skillet. He started to reply when Ray Kowalski answered for him.

“I asked him why he doesn’t want to live in Canada near Maggie. He said, ‘I have a family,’ when he met her, so I thought he’d want to be near her. He doesn’t.”

“Ray, I told you. It’s not that I don’t want to be near Maggie,” Fraser rapidly explained as he added salt and pepper to the eggs. “But I barely know her. I need time to fully consider her as my sister. However, there are many people here in Chicago whom I consider as family members, and I need them right now.”

He quickly finished cooking the eggs and set the plate before Ray Vecchio. Ray looked at him, his eyes filled with understanding and empathy.

“Does this have to do with your mother, Benny?” he quietly asked.

Fraser sat across from both Rays, rubbed his eyebrow and looked away. “I suppose it does,” he admitted, feeling Ray Vecchio’s hand warm on his own.

“Benny, you can say that you need other people – people who know you and care about you. Even if that means you don’t want to go home.”

Fraser felt tears leaking from the corner of his eyes, and he tried to keep his voice steady. “I have started to consider Chicago my home too. Home is no longer only the place where I was born and lived for most of my life,” he managed to say. “And I do need you, Ray, and you too, Ray,” he added, glancing from one friend to the other.

Ray Vecchio squeezed his hand, and a smile lit his face like sunshine. “Then no one’s gonna judge you for staying and working at the Consulate. I’m….I’m pretty glad you’ll be here,” he said. Fraser noticed tears starting at his friend’s eyes too. “I missed you in Las Vegas, Benny.”

“I missed you, too, Ray.”

Both men were startled by Ray Kowalski’s voice — for a moment, they’d forgotten he was there.

“I’m glad you’re staying too, Frase,” Ray said. “But are really gonna be okay going back to the Consulate? I guess you can still work with me as the lee-sen – I mean, the li-a-sin — if the Ice Queen’s replacement says it’s okay.”

Ray Vecchio turned to him and snorted in amusement. “Ice Queen?”

“Yeah.” Ray took another swig of his coffee. “You got a better name for her?”

Fraser silently sighed. _Oh, Ray, don’t be defensive_ , he thought. But he realized that his friend’s bluster was probably because he wasn’t always cheerful in the morning.

To his relief, Ray Vecchio merely shrugged. “Well, I called her the Dragon Lady. I like yours better.”

Ray Kowalski laughed and nearly spit out his coffee. “Dragon Lady – I like that! It fits. But Fraser, you sure you won’t be too bored working at the Consulate?” he asked, finishing the question he’d started.

Fraser selected his own donut and took a small bite. “Well, I’ll have more in Chicago for me than work, Ray,” he said after swallowing. He met both Rays’ eyes. “I’ve always wanted to get more of an education than what was provided to me in the Territories. I’m planning to apply to the University of Chicago.”

He sat back in his chair, chewed his donut and waited for his friends to respond. Suddenly realizing that Ray needed his medication, Fraser turned away to look for the pill bottle and refill his juice glass. Then both Rays spoke at once.

“Benny, that’s great!”

“Frase, if that’s what you want, it’s good, buddy. I mean, I didn’t do so well at UIC, but I only went because Stella went, and I just wanted to have a good time with her. She studied, but I didn’t. My dad was pretty mad when I dropped out, before I would flunk out.” Ray paused. “But you’ll probably do a lot better.”

“Are you kidding? Benny’s a hell of a lot smarter than you or me!” Ray sounded incredulous. “You’ll do great, Benny,” he added, softening his tone.

Smiling, Fraser gave him the juice and dropped a pill in his palm. “Thank you, Ray. And I don’t think that I am much smarter than you or Ray.”

“Yeah, but Sta-Ray here got into college. That counts for something. I didn’t have more than a year of community college, and you don’t have to apply for that.”

“How come you didn’t go?” Ray Kowalski asked. Fraser, knowing the answer, inwardly cringed.

Ray Vecchio sighed and picked up his fork. “My old man wouldn’t pay for it. He had some gambling debts when I finished high school, but he still kept going to his bookie. I got a job as a delivery boy, so I used that money to pay for community college, until I decided to go to the academy.” Ray studied his plate as he ate his eggs.

“Benny, did you make more coffee?” he suddenly said.

 _Oh, Ray – it’s still hard for you to talk about your father, isn’t it?_ Fraser thought.

“Well, no, Ray, but your doctor still won’t allow you to have caffeine,” he replied.

Ray looked up and grinned. “Yeah, I knew you’d remember. I was just testing you. You see - with a memory like that, you won’t have any problems in college.”

“I will still need to set a regular schedule for studying, and balance that and classes with my work,” Fraser explained. “It may be past the deadline to apply for the fall semester, but I will enroll for the spring. By then, I’ll be adjusted to being at the Consulate again.”

“You’re moving back in the Consulate, Frase?” Ray Kowalski put in, sounding puzzled.

“Ah – no, you misunderstood, Ray. I was referring to my work at the Consulate, not my living arrangements. I am planning to look for an apartment in a few months, and become settled before I start classes.”

“Hey, that’s great! Maybe there’s something open in this building. I’ll check with Mrs. O’Halloran.”

“That’s not necessary. I know that your landlady does not allow tenants to keep cats or dogs, so it’s unlikely that Diefenbaker can live here.”

Ray’s face fell. “Oh, yeah, I forgot that. That’s why you didn’t bring him with you, right?” He reached for a second donut. “Well, maybe you can find something in the neighborhood.”

“I’d like that, Ray.” Fraser turned to Ray Vecchio, who was quietly finishing his breakfast. He made his tone gentle. “Ray, I do enjoy living at your home. You and your family have made me feel so welcome. But I can’t stay there permanently.”

Ray glanced up. “I know that, Benny.” He managed a smile. “Guess the kids would make too much noise for you to get some studying done, huh? Well…I thought you’d be going to Canada soon anyway, and I didn’t know when I’d see you again. So you being just a few miles away is better.”

Fraser smiled back. “That it is, Ray. And I won’t be moving to an apartment for a few months. I’d like to wait until you have been medically cleared to drive and return to work.”

“I want to do that by September, Benny. But I don’t have a car anymore.” Fraser half expected Ray to glare at he and Ray, but he seemed to have accepted that his third beloved Riv had been destroyed. _And it was my fault, because Greta Garbo was after me_ , Fraser thought as he watched any happiness leave his friend’s green eyes. He didn’t understand the attachment that either one of his friends had to their vehicles, but, knowing that Ray had been upset when he heard the news from Francesca and Maria, he felt guilty.

 _I should have told Ray myself, before I went after Muldoon_ , he thought. _I need to make this right_.

He smiled again and lightly touched Ray’s shoulder. “Then we’ll go car shopping together before you go back to work. I will also need to find a suitable mode of transportation.”

“You’re buying a car, Frase? Whoa!” Ray Kowalski interjected. “I thought you’d just keep bumming rides off us.”

 _Has he hated driving me around? Then why didn’t he tell me?_ Fraser thought, feeling a surge of anger.  “Well, it does seem practical, Ray," he managed to say. "Even though the university is on the train line, I may not be able to find an apartment close to a stop, or my classes may be soon after work so it would be faster to drive to campus…”

Ray laughed. “I was just teasing you, buddy! I’m glad you’re going to be driving. You’ll be the safest driver in Chicago.” He looked at Ray and smiled. “Vecchio, I’ll be glad to help you and Frase look at cars. I know you know what to look for in the engine, unlike Frase here, but maybe you’d like a second look.”

“Sure, Kowalski.” Ray was genuinely smiling this time. “And I’ll miss driving you, Benny, but maybe it’s for the best. I just hope I’ll still be able to see you around.”

Fraser wanted to put his arms around his friend – both friends - as he did when they first met at the Hotel California, months ago.

“Ray, I promise you that I’ll still make time to help you on cases, and you too, Ray. And we will still spend time together outside of work. Even with my starting college, you will both still be a priority for me. I don’t want to ever take either one of you for granted again…” Fraser realized he was rambling, and stopped.

Ray Vecchio gave him a fond look, “Aww, don’t get mushy, Benny,” he teased.

It was Ray Kowalski who went over to Fraser and threw an arm around him, knocking him off balance.

“Hey, this is gonna be great! A couple of days ago, I thought I’d only see you once a year, or maybe more often if I started going to see Maggie. But now you’ll be _here_. It’ll be as it was.” He removed his arm and looked over at Ray Vecchio again. “Except we’ll be a trio and not a duo. If you’re in class or studying, Frase, I’ll have someone else to hang around with.”

“It’s good to have more than one friend, Ray,” Fraser agreed as Ray sat beside Ray Vecchio. “So…you gonna get another Buick?” he asked him.

Ray Vecchio shrugged. “Depends on if I can find a contact.”

“My dad may be able to help. He knows some people in the vintage car business. That’s how he found the Goat…”

Fraser smiled broader as he listened to his two Rays happily discuss a topic in which he had little interest. _It feels good to be settled and with friends and family, and have a goal_ , he thought. He had no idea when he’d be able to complete a full college degree, but he knew that when he went to the ceremony to receive his diploma, his family — Maggie; Ray Kowalski, whom he hoped would by then be his brother-in-law; Frannie, Ren and the little Turnbulls; and Ray and the other Vecchios — would be the loudest cheering section.


End file.
